New study finds people with kids are miserable
 

http://www.newsweek.com/id/143792

My impressions may have been swayed by the fact that their candy dish was always full, but several studies now show that the Sloans could well have been more content than most of the traditional families around them. In Daniel Gilbert's 2006 book "Stumbling on Happiness," the Harvard professor of psychology looks at several studies and concludes that marital satisfaction decreases dramatically after the birth of the first child?and increases only when the last child has left home. He also ascertains that parents are happier grocery shopping and even sleeping than spending time with their kids. Other data cited by 2008's "Gross National Happiness" author, Arthur C. Brooks, finds that parents are about 7 percentage points less likely to report being happy than the childless.

The most recent comprehensive study on the emotional state of those with kids shows us that the term "bundle of joy" may not be the most accurate way to describe our offspring. "Parents experience lower levels of emotional well-being, less frequent positive emotions and more frequent negative emotions than their childless peers," says Florida State University's Robin Simon, a sociology professor who's conducted several recent parenting studies, the most thorough of which came out in 2005 and looked at data gathered from 13,000 Americans by the National Survey of Families and Households. "In fact, no group of parents?married, single, step or even empty nest?reported significantly greater emotional well-being than people who never had children. It's such a counterintuitive finding because we have these cultural beliefs that children are the key to happiness and a healthy life, and they're not."

:2 cents: :2 cents:

Women love drama, kids = drama, women love kids.

I love my son, I';m glad to have him and him alone.. not the woman who birthed him, but thats a long story

I'd be miserable with out my boy on my side

I do agree that people without kids have less to worry about. I am sure you have fewer negative emotions when your skinned knees are the only knees in play. I won't argue the point, but children are an unbelievable life experience. So I have a few more negative emotions. Big deal. ;)

I love all the people who talk smack about how they hate kids....

I wonder who's going to take care of your bedpan when your too old to fuck? Hmm... I don't know many friends who would stoop to that level :)

I heard an interview with him on CBC about a year ago.

It makes sense to me. More 'highs' with children but over the course it's more headaches.

Depends what you want in your life to feel fufilled. Definitely evidence that having kids isn't something you should just 'do'.

It's about the love kids give you. In the first five years they love you more then anyone in the world will ever love you. They love you more then you love yourself.

They only give you headaches because you Love Them Back.

I don't have kids but I can see some flaws in that study.

It's similar to if they said those people who have never been in love are happier because they never experienced a broken heart. If you want the highs, you have to be able to take the lows. It's called life.

I think this just goes back to the saying "people are idiots".

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh
I agree!

Freedom is importance number one

having kids = less freedom

lol most kids just end up sticking their parents in an old age home anyways.

A nurse...as it should be.

Having someone to take care of you when you get old isn't reason enough for me to have kids. I'd rather pay someone when I get to that point.

I must still be on the new dad high. I don't think I've ever been happier.

Well, based on the note left by jet's mother when she dropped him off at the recycling center, I am sure some parents are quite miserable.

This is true.

Kids are more trouble and expense than they're worth, generally.

If you have a nanny, they're tolerable.

It's Sunday. Me and my gf got up at 8:45, had sex for an hour then made brunch and mimosas. We'll watch a movie, then fuck again in the living room.

Meanwhile, my cousin has two boring kids soccer games to watch today, after church. Then four loads of laundry.

We're going on a cruise next month, they're going to Disneyworld and standing in line in the sun.

any questions about who has it better?

Yep, old folk homes are filled with parents who haven't seen their kids in years.

Yet you steal Christmas presents. You are so full of shit.

Like others said, in modern times kids are a financial burden, a limit on your freedom, and often another stumbling block to reaching your goals (I could make an extra X dollars if I worked X longer, but I have to take care of the child instead). Moreover, dual parent families are shrinking because of high divorce rates so instead of two parents shouldering the responsibility of raising a child, it's increasingly falling on one set of shoulders, which is not something many people plan for. I think many people think about these things which is why so many are opting never to have kids. Or by the time they feel they're emotionally and financially ready (they've settled into a house, the career, got the car, found a woman you're willing to tolerate for the remainder of your life by your early 40's), they believe they're too old to become parents.

great post and true, and the sad thing is that in so many cases, the people that don't "think about these things" are the ones filling up the world with their brats and are dumbing down the population more and more as we go

I know there are exceptions but there are alot of stupid people having kids these days

You're referring to dysgenics

Selfish people shouldn't have kids, period. If you don't want them, use birth control. If you have them, have them because you love children. If you have them and didn't use birth control, it sucks to be you and don't whine when your life isn't as good anymore Basically, the people in this thread who say they are too selfish to have kids, at least they are being honest. I'd rather see them childless than have a few kids and be miserable good for nothing piss poor parents.